Numar Corporation

Nl Industries

Precision Energy Services, Inc.

Weatherford Canada Partnership

Smart Stabilizer Systems Limited

Precision Drilling Technology Services Group, Inc.

Michael Louis Larronde

Roger P Bartel

Paul F Rodney

Manfred G Prammer

George David Goodman

Marian Morys

James H Dudley

Chen-Kang David Chen

Dale Allen Jones

Peter Masak

John E Smaardyk

Macmillan M Wisler

Larry Wayne Thompson

Christopher Walter Konschuh

Steven Reid Farley

Robert Anthony Aiello

Manmohan Singh Kalsi

Jian-Qun Wu

M Vikram Rao

Jeff Johnson

Colin Walker

John D Martin

Charles Lee Mauldin

Daryl Richard Henry Stroud

Kirk Towns

Paul E Radzinski

Elaine Larronde

Daryl Stroud

Mike Spencer

Robert G Hoos

A bottom hole assembly avoids damaging vibrations that can develop during directional drilling with a rotary steerable system. The assembly has a drill bit, a first collar that rotates with the bit, a rotary steerable tool that controls the bit's trajectory, and a second collar that rotates with the drill string. The first collar between the bit and the tool defines a bend that deflects the bit from the first collar's axis. During operation, this bend causes portion of the assembly to engage the borehole wall to inhibit counterclockwise (CCW) bit whirl by promoting clockwise whirl in the assembly, generating friction against the borehole wall, and dampening vibrations. By inhibiting CCW bit whirl, other damaging vibrations such as CCW whirl in the drill string can also be prevented up the borehole. Alternatively, only the second collar between the tool and the drill string may define the bend, or both collars can define bends.

Rotary steerable assembly inhibiting counterclockwise whirl during directional drilling

Disclosed herein is a system for steering the direction of a borehole advanced by cutting action of a rotary drill bit by periodically varying action of a drill bit while continuously rotating a drill string to which the drill bit is operationally attached. The steering system can include a bit perturbation device cooperating with a bent housing subsection and operationally connected to the drill string and to the drill bit. Drill bit action can be varied by periodically varying the rotation speed and/or rate of penetration of the drill bit. Periodic drill bit action results in preferential cutting of material from a predetermined arc of the borehole wall which, in turn, results in borehole deviation. Action of the drill bit can be varied independently of the rotation rate of the drill string.

Directional drilling control using periodic perturbation of the drill bit

Apparatus and methods for establishing electrical communication between an instrument subsection disposed below a mud motor and an electronics sonde disposed above the mud motor in a drill string conveyed borehole logging system. Electrical communication is established via at least one conductor disposed within the mud motor and connecting the instrument sub section to a link disposed between the mud motor and the electronics sonde. The link can be embodied as a current coupling link, a magnetic coupling ling, an electromagnetic telemetry ling and a direct electrical contact link. Two way data transfer is established in all link embodiments. Power transfer is also established in all but the electromagnetic telemetry link.

Method and apparatus for transmitting sensor response data and power through a mud motor

Transmitting sensor response data and power through a mud motor

A drilling system utilizing a plurality of independent telemetry systems. The drilling system uses a drill collar as a pressure housing for downhole components of the system. One or more sensors are disposed within the pressure housing. These sensors can be MWD sensors, LWD sensors, or both MWD and LWD sensors. A plurality of independent borehole telemetry systems is used to telemeter sensor response data to the surface of the earth. Each sensor cooperates with a downhole component of at least one of the independent telemetry systems. The plurality of telemetry systems can be of the same type, such as a mud pulse systems. Alternately, the telemetry systems can be of different types including a mud pulse system and an electromagnetic system.

Drilling system comprising a plurality of borehole telemetry systems

This invention relates to a steering assembly and to a steering component, suitable for use in drilling operations for oil and gas. The steering assembly comprises a downhole motor which can rotate the drill bit, and a steering component. The steering component has a shaft and a set of elements for engaging the borehole in use. The shaft has a longitudinal axis. The set of elements has a centerline and is movable relative to the shaft between a first position in which the centerline is offset from the longitudinal axis of the shaft by a first distance, and a second position in which the centerline is offset from the longitudinal axis of the shaft by a second distance. In use in drilling operations, movement of the set of elements from the first position to the second position alters the degree of curvature of the drilled hole.

Steering assembly and steering component

This invention relates to a steerable drill bit arrangement, in particular for the use in drilling boreholes for oil and gas extraction. There is provided a steerable drill bit arrangement in which the drill bit () is connected to a drill string () including a steering component () and a stabiliser (), the stabiliser () being located between the steering component () and the drill bit (), the steering component () being adapted to move the drill string () transversely relative to a borehole in which it is located, the stabiliser () having an inner part () adapted to rotate with the drill string () and an outer part () adapted to engage the borehole wall, the outer part () being rotatable relative to the inner part so that the outer part () can remain substantially stationary as the remainder of the stabiliser () rotates with the drill string ().

Steerable drill bit arrangement

A method for manufacturing NMR measurement-while-drilling tool having the mechanical strength and measurement sensitivity to perform NMR measurements of an earth formation while drilling a borehole, and a method and apparatus for monitoring the motion of the measuring tool in order to take this motion into account when processing NMR signals from the borehole. The tool has a permanent magnet with a magnetic field direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the borehole, a steel collar of a non-magnetic material surrounding the magnet, antenna positioned outside the collar, and a soft magnetic material positioned in a predetermined relationship with the collar and the magnet that helps to shape the magnetic field of the tool. Due to the non-magnetic collar, the tool can withstand the extreme conditions in the borehole environment while the borehole is being drilled. Motion management apparatus and method are employed to identify time periods when the NMR measurements can be taken without the accuracy of the measurement being affected by the motion of the tool or its spatial orientation.

Method and apparatus for nuclear magnetic resonance measuring while drilling

A drilling tool has a bent sub or a defined &ldquo;High Side&rdquo;. An instrument housing which includes a magnetometer is secured to the directional drilling tool. The magnetometer measures the magnetic field vector in the plane perpendicular to the tool axis. Prior to running the directional drilling tool and the instrument housing into the well, a magnetic source is positioned next to the instrument housing at a position near the magnetometer. The magnetic source is made and positioned such that its magnetic field at the magnetometer points to the chalk line of the high side of a bent sub. The net magnetic field generated from the source is obtained by the difference in magnetic field measurements before and while the magnetic source is applied The azimuthal angle between the net magnetic field vector and the x-axis of the magnetometer or other direction sensor reference point used for tool face calculation is obtained by a computer. This angle is the angular difference or offset angle between the sensor tool face and the high side of the bent sub (as mimicked by the magnetic source). This offset angle is recorded as a signed (&plusmn;) number and is added to the sensor tool face to produce the bent sub's high side tool face during the drilling operation. No manual measurement of the offset angle and input is required.

Calculating directional drilling tool face offsets

An NMR measurement-while-drilling tool having the mechanical strength and measurement sensitivity to perform NMR measurements of an earth formation while drilling a borehole, and a method and apparatus for monitoring the motion of the measuring tool in order to take this motion into account when processing NMR signals from the borehole. The tool has a permanent magnet with a magnetic field direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the borehole, a steel collar of a non-magnetic material surrounding the magnet, antenna positioned outside the collar, and a soft magnetic material positioned in a predetermined relationship with the collar and the magnet that helps to shape the magnetic field of the tool. Due to the non-magnetic collar, the tool can withstand the extreme conditions in the borehole environment while the borehole is being drilled. Motion management apparatus and method are employed to identify time periods when the NMR measurements can be taken without the accuracy of the measurement being affected by the motion of the tool or its spatial orientation.

A mud pulse telemetry system for imparting data pulses to drilling fluids circulating in a drill string including an improved valve arrangement for modulating the pressure of the circulating drilling fluid is disclosed. A shear-type valve is arranged in a through conduit configuration so that the seat face of the valve is covered when the valve is in an open position, thus preventing impingement of abrasive fluid particles on the valve seat face during the open flow position of the valve. The activation means is connected to the valve gate through a floating connection which prevents lateral stress forces operating on the valve from being imparted to the solenoid. The floating connection also permits convenient removal of the valve seat and gate from an access opening on the exterior of the drill string housing to facilitate the replacement of critical valve parts without removing the valve subassembly from the drill string. The valve gate and seat have an oblong valve flow opening therein which provides for sufficient fluid flow to adequately modulate the fluid pressure and at the same time provide a minimum length of stroke for the solenoid to operate the valve. An upset rim on the valve seat provides a seating face smaller than the opposing seating face of the gate.

Valve for drilling fluid telemetry systems

A mud pulse telemetry system for imparting data pulses to drilling fluids circulating in a drill string including an improved valve arrangment for modulating the pressure of the circulating drilling fluid is disclosed. A rotary acting shear-type valve is arranged in a through conduit configuration so that the seat face of the valve is covered when the valve is in an open position, thus preventing impingement of abrasive fluid particles on the valve seat face during the open flow position of the valve. The rotatable gate is positively driven through an arc in opposite directions by rotary solenoids so that a gate aperture is moved into and out of axial alignment with the opening in the valve seat to generate the pressure pulse. The rotary solenoid valve also permits a tailoring of the force curve of the solenoid for maximum power in actuation of larger flow orifices. The larger flow orifice permits generation of pressure pulses of increased amplitude.

Rotary acting shear valve for drilling fluid telemetry systems

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Michael Louis Larronde